September-October 2014 NEWS LETTER

KERALA 2014

Newsletter of WWF - India, State Office

FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR’S DESK the possible to save the very few number of marine turtles which comes to the Kerala Coast and its coastal Living out WWF’s mission in the State is going on full waters for breeding and nesting. Over the past few steam ahead with our various projects, programmes months, we have been able to organize various events and other interventions. The ongoing project on ‘Land in different locations in Kerala to distribute around use/ landform alterations due to laterite quarrying 5000 CFLs freely to households from the economically and mining and its environmental impacts’ is moving backward section of the society. This is an extension forward and is at a major turning point of WWF of Earth Hour 2014 and the CFLs have been provided signing the MoU with GeoVin Solutions Pvt. Ltd. In jointly by KSEB and EMC. Many individuals and for carrying out the GIS and institutions partnered with us in organizing the events remote sensing part of the project work. We hope that the and we take this opportunity to thank each one of them joint venture will yield the expected results – satisfying for partnering with us. We used the platform in all the both quantity and quality, in this project and in future locations to stress the need for energy conservation in we definitely plan to take this relationship forward in our State and thereby being energy secure. The past other projects and programmes too. In continuation of two months also witnessed our regular and many the State level study on ‘Kerala Going 100% Renewable other education, awareness and outreach programmes, Energy by 2030’, as per the suggestions from the significant of them being the ‘Common Bird Monitoring Stakeholder Workshop, study has been initiated for Programme’ which really helps us to take bird watching District. The first Stakeholder Workshop to the people, encourage them to participate by action was conducted at Palakkad on 16 Oct 2014 in which in the field and also acknowledge their efforts and around 30 participants attended and contributed contribution. Bird watching was organized exclusively actively to the discussions and deliberations. We in and around in both the months hope that the project will be successfully completed which attracted a lot of volunteers, as also the Sunday as a joint venture of WWF-India and WISE Pune and Bird Walk arranged in and around Punchakkari the findings of the study will be able to make a big in October. Two Teachers Training Workshops turn around in Kerala from making a major shift from on EE and ESD were also organized at conventional energy sources to renewable sources and separately for School Teachers and Teacher Trainees thereby reducing our carbon footprint and mitigating which had around 40 and 120 active participants global warming and climate change – the greatest man- respectively. As part of initiating the penetration of made disaster that humankind and other life forms ESD in our mainline curriculum, we organized a very and the Planet Earth itself is faced with these days. small closed group discussion and we hope to work The recently organized meeting for formulating the on the outcome and suggestions in the coming days. ‘National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for The Nature Education Camp at Avalanche was a Marine Turtles’ by the Ministry of Environment, Forests very different and enthralling experience for the nine and Climate Change, Govt. of India in association with campers as shared by them. We also partnered with a Wildlife Institute of India at the Kerala Forest Research lot of other like minded individuals and institutions in Institute, Peechi, helped us to present our their programmes. findings and observations and also put forward our recommendations of our study on ‘Status and Issues Renjan Mathew Varghese, of Marine Turtles along the Kerala Coast’ and we also State Director used the platform to reiterate our commitment to do

melting the Arctic ice cap and causing new wind patterns IMPORTANT NEWS ON that push freezing air and snow southwards. “The origin ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE of frequent Eurasian severe winters is global warming,” said Prof. Masato Mori at the University of Tokyo, who GLOBAL led the new research. Climate change is heating the Arctic Global warming has doubled risk of harsh winters in much faster than lower latitudes and the discovery that the Eurasia, research finds chances of severe winters have already doubled shows that the impacts of global warming are not only a future threat. The risk of severe winters in Europe and northern Asia has Melting Arctic ice has also been implicated in recent wet been doubled by global warming, according to new research. summers in the UK. The new research, published in Nature The counter-intuitive finding is the result of climate change Geoscience, shows that the increased risk of icy winters will

Mruthika/ September-October 2014 / 1 persist for the next few decades. But beyond that, continued salt-tolerant Avicennia species being edged out by Ceriops global warming overwhelms the colder winter weather. The decandra, a relatively less-salt tolerant variety of mangrove, Arctic is expected to be ice-free in late summer by the 2030s, suggesting an evolution of the mangroves. The study titled halting the changes to wind patterns, while climate change ‘Benchmark Studies on the Status of Mangrove Forest’ has will continue to increase average temperatures. (Source: been conducted by the Nature Environment & Wildlife http://www.theguardian.com, 26 Oct 2014) Society (NEWS), sponsored by the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve under the ‘Mangrove For Future’ scheme of the Sea ice rises in Antarctic, falls in Arctic International Union for Conservation of Nature. “It was The extent of sea ice in Antarctica is set to reach a record earlier believed that salinity is the main determining factor high, scientists said as they announced that Arctic sea ice for mangroves in the Sunderbans. But the study points appeared to have shrunk to its sixth lowest level ever. The to pH also being an important factor,” Himadri Sekhar National Ice and Snow Data Centre (NSIDC) said satellite Debnath, Principal Scientist involved with the project and data was expected to shortly confirm this. “Antarctic sea former Joint Director of Botanical Survey of India (BSI) ice is poised to set a record maximum this year, now at 19.7 told The Hindu. A change in the mangrove species may million sq.km. (7.6m.sq.m.) and continuing to increase,” lead to change in biodiversity, ecology, species variation the Centre, considered one of the world’s top authorities on and finally to the variation in gene pool, Ajanta Dy. Project sea ice data, said in a statement. The conundrum of why Director (NEWS) said. (Source: The Hindu, Sept 7, 2014) Antarctic sea ice appears to be expanding as the Arctic decreases had puzzled polar observers, but scientists have suggested that the reason Antarctic ice extent appears to be increasing is changing wind patterns. Figures released by State the NSIDC in Boulder, Colorado, show that the so-called Arctic sea ice minimum — the point where the extent of 52 Odonata species seen at Kerala Agricultural University sea ice there is at its lowest after the summer, before it As many as 52 species of Odonata, comprising 36 species begins to refreeze for winter — is expected to be confirmed of Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies), imminently and would be millions of square kilometres have been spotted on the main campus of the Kerala below the long-term average. (Source: The Hindu, Sept 18 Agricultural University. The species were spotted as 2014) part of a study conducted by P.O. Nameer, Head of the Centre for Wildlife Studies of KAU’s College of Forestry; C.K. Adarsh of the Centre for Wildlife Sciences; and National K.S. Aneesh of the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Sir Syed College, . Odonata, an order of carnivorous insects comprising dragonflies and 'Kaziranga should get proposed additions for better damselflies, is considered an important component of management' freshwater ecosystems and is an indicator of the health Kaziranga National Park has lost about 84sq.km. since of the ecosystem because of its amphibious life history, 1904 due to erosion caused by the river Brahmaputra. The relatively short generation time, high trophic position, and shrinkage in area coupled with the increase in its wildlife diversity. (Source: The Hindu, Sept 9, 2014) population has resulted in shortage of required space for rhino and other park animals, said Assam Environment State’s conservation bids flagged at global meet and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain. Each rhino requires The conservation efforts launched by the State Government one sq.km. area but at present only 0.02sq.km. is available and local bodies in Kerala took centre stage at the 12th to each rhino in Kaziranga. Density of tiger population here Conference of Parties (COP12) to the Convention on is also one of the highest in the world and it is about 32 Biodiversity (CBD) at Pyeongchang in South Korea. Kerala to 34 tigers per 100sq.km. The Minister said the solution State Biodiversity Board Chairman Oommen V. Oommen lies in Revenue Department acquiring and handing over and Member Secretary K.P. Laladhas were participating in the possession of all the proposed additions of Kaziranga the 13-day conference discussing the progress in meeting to the park authorities for better management. The total global biodiversity targets for 2020. Representatives area of Kaziranga, including all the six additions, is 893.42 of governments, U.N. agencies, non-governmental sq.km. The Park has a population of 2329 rhinos, 1163 organisations, academia and indigenous and local wild elephants, 106 tigers, 1937 buffalos and 1168 swamp communities from 193 countries are participating in the deers. (Source: The Hindu, Sept 3 2014) global meet to consider a series of strategic, administrative and budgetary steps to promote the conservation of Mangroves undergo change in Sunderbans biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components and the A recent study of mangrove forests in Sunderbans has fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the revealed a change in their vegetation pattern, with the high use of genetic resources. (Source: The Hindu, Oct 18, 2014)

2 / Mruthika/ September-October 2014 Tadpole Cloud Species of the issue Shark Shiver Oysters Bed Crab Apple Mangrove (Sonneratia caseolaris) Mongoose Business N¡-c-¡-≠ Insect Swam Bullock Drove Caterpillar Army Cockroach Intrusion Crab Cast Dolphin Pod

Member's Desk

Memories of the Wildlife Orientation Camp at Avalanche - Parsons Valley Forest of Nilgiris We reached Mettupalayam Railway Station at around 6 in the morning. After a quick breakfast, we boarded the Nilgiri Crab Apple Mangrove is a mangrove found in estuaries in Express for our journey through the blue hills to Ooty. The the size of a medium tree of 8 to 10 feet height. It resembles weather was magnificent. Sun was shining bright and the with the Nakshatrakkandal (Sonneratia alba) as the rich biodiversity of the Nilgiris was evident through out flowers have star like calyx. Unlike the Nakshatrakkandal, the vintage route. Just before noon, we reached Ooty and this has pink flowers. The fruit seems like a green apple boarded the bus for our onward trip to our first camp point, with a long style making this a beautiful creation of Avalanche. Traveling through the vast farmlands of Ooty, Mother Nature. These are reported from the estuaries of we reached Avalanche Forest Dormitory just before sunset. , Kasaragode, , Thiruvananthapuram, A quick birding in the premises brought us luck. Species Kottayam, , Kozhikkode, districts. like Oriental white eye and Black Bulbul were spotted. But this mangrove is not that much common, while Further more, during the rainy ride to Powerhouse, a Nakshatrakkandal is a rare one. Pollution and Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) was found perching on reclamation are the major threat for these rare mangroves a lone branch of a tree enjoying the rain. A night session performing valuable services to the ecosystem. in the premises of our stay resulted in an exotic sighting, Raorchestes signatus; an endemic frog species. A.K. Sivakumar We started early the next day. Several species were spotted during the birding session around the dormitory. Black and Children’s Corner Orange Flycatcher, even though was spotted, remained out of range from the photographers of the group. But the blue Do you know the collective name we call for animals? beauty, the endemic Nilgiri Flycatcher, rewarded us with Some are here….. an exquisite perch for about half an hour. It was a treat for

Animal Group Rat or Mice Mischief Parrot Company Rabbit Herd Fish School Owl Parliament Lion Pried Giraffe Tower Dog Pack Vulture Committee Tortoise Creep

Mruthika/ September-October 2014 / 3 the shutter bugs. Post breakfast session involved the safari Isf¡pdn¨pÅ kmam\yw t`Zs¸« Adnhp≠v. F¶m to serene Upper Bhavani Reservoir. Sambar Deers and Wild \½psS Npäp]mSpw \m«n³]pd§fn ImWp¶ "km[mcW' Dogs, , were the major sightings on the way. The ]£nIsf¡pdn¨v ta kqNn¸n¨ t]mepÅ ]£nIfpsS safari marked the end of our stay at Avalanche. The bus hn\ymks¯¡pdnt¨m, AhbpsS F®s¯¡pdnt¨m \ left Avalanche Forest Dormitory just before noon. Almost a ap¡v Adnhv IpdhmWv. mile away from the Forest Check Post we spotted another Cu Hcp kmlNcy¯nemWv \m«p]£nIsf \nco Common Buzzard on the road side. £n¡pIbpw AhbpsS hn\ymkhpw, F®hpw IrXyambn We had lunch from Emerald Hotel and left for Parsons tcJs¸Sp¯pIbpw sN¿p¶Xnte¡mbn Hcp ]T\¯nsâ Valley. The route took us along the banks of the gorgeous BhiyIXsb¡pdn¨v tIcf¯nse ]£n \nco£cpambn Emerald Reservoir. Even though the road was bad, the NÀ¨IÄ \S¯pIbpw A¯cw Hcp ]cn]mSn \S¯mw journey was a riveting experience through some of the best F¶v Xocpam\n¡pIbpw sNbvXXv. {]kvXpX ]cn]mSn¡v forests in the Nilgiris. Several species including raptors kwØm\ h\whIp¸v tkmjy t^mdkv{Sn hn`mK¯nsâ and Barking Deer were spotted. We reached Parsons Valley AIagnª klmbw e`n¨Xnsâ ASnØm\¯n hfsc forest bungalow in the evening. It was cold and silent, \à coXnbn Xs¶ kwLSn¸n¨v \S¸m¡phm³ Bin¨p. except for the occasional bird or deer calls. Typical Parsons A§s\ {]Ya kwØm\ \m«p]£n \nco£W ]cn Valley! ]mSn/ Common Bird Monitoring Programme (CBMP) 2014 February amk¯n \S¯pIbp≠mbn. {]kvXpX ]cn]m SnbpsS asämcp {]tXyIX AXv A´mcm{ãXe¯n kwLSn¸n¡s¸Sp¶ Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) F¶ ]cn]mSntbmSv tNÀ¶v \S¸m¡phm³ km[n¨p F¶ XmWv. 2014 s^{_p-hcn 14 apX 17 hsc \S¯nb \m«p-]£n \nco-£W ]cn]mSnbn ]s¦Sp¡phm\mbn kwØm\ ¯nsâ hnhn[ `mK§fnepÅ ]£n \nco£W hnhÀ¯\ hpambn _Ôs¸« kwLS\Ifpw, hyànIfpw apt¶m«v hcnIbpw CBMP-2014 Hcp h³hnPbam¡n amäpIbpw sNbvXp. kÀtÆ coXn Hcp hyàntbm, ct≠mþaqt¶m t]cS§p¶ Sotam Bbn On the final day, as usual, we woke up early. A few of us, kÀtÆbn ]s¦Sp¡mw. AhÀ¡v 2014 s^{_p-hcn 14 apX walked some distance through the Emerald route. Oriental 17 hsc XobXnIfn tIcf¯nâ \m«n³ ]pd§fn FhnsS white eyes were in plenty. We left for the Parsons Valley thWsa¦nepw \nco£Ww \S¯mw. \nco£Ww Npcp§n reservoir at around 8. The birding session there yielded a lot bXv 15 an\nsä¦nepw ssZÀLyap≠mhWw. A¯c¯n of species like Pied Bushchat, Black and Orange Flycatcher epÅ 15 an\näv ssZÀLyapÅ GXp Øe-s¯bpw checklist & Nilgiri Laughing Thrush. After spending some time near ]£n-I-fpsS enÌv ( ) thWsa¦nepw HcmÄ¡v the reservoir and taking the customary group photo, we tiJcn¡mw. {]kvXpX kÀtÆbn tcJs¸Spt¯≠Xv began our final journey back to Ooty. En route to Ooty \nco£n¡phm³ XncsªSp¯ Øew, XobXn, 15 an\näv the photographers got a great chance for some wonderful kab¯n Is≠¯nb ]£nIfpsS C\w, F®w F¶o www.eBird. snaps of a Nilgiri Langur having a sip from a pothole on the hnhc§fmWv. {]kvXpX hnhc§Ä ]n¶oSv " org website upload road. The perfect moment to cap off an eventful trip! ' F¶  sN¿Ww. C¯c¯n tiJ cn¡p¶ hnhc§Ä ]n¶oSv imkv{Xobambn hniIe\w Aswin V.N., 9400548619 sN¿pIbpw \m«p]£nIfpsS hn\ym khpw, F®hpw IrXy ambn Xn«s¸Sp¯pIbpw sN¿p¶p. 2014 s^{_phcn amkw IqSmsX ho≠pw sk]väw-_À amkw 12 apX 15 hsc Special Feature tIcf¯n CBMP kwLSn¸n¡pIbp≠mbn. HmW¯n t\mS\p_Ôn¨v \S¯nb-Xm-b-Xn-\m {]kvXpX kÀÆsb " Bird Count' F¶mWv R§Ä hnfn¨Xv. \m«p]£n \nco£Ww 2014  \S¯nb c≠p \m«p]£n kÀtÆIfpsS {][m\ Is≠¯epIÄ ]«nIbn sImSp¯ncn¡p¶p. Gähpw ]£nIsft]mse¯s¶ ]£n kÀtÆIfpsS Imcy kÀÆkm[mcWambn ImWp¶ ]£nIÄþ]\¦m¡, \m«p ¯n C´ybnse aäp kwØm\s¯ At]£n¨v AXn ssa\, Icn¦pbnÂ, Nn¶¡p«p-dp-h³, B\dm©n XpS§nb k¼¶amWv tIcfw. tIcf¯nse an¡hmdpw h\yPohn hbmsW¶v Cu ]T\¯n \n¶pw a\Ênem¡phm³ kt¦X§fnepw, dnkÀhv h\§fnepw, X®oÀ¯S§fnep km[n¨p. 2014 s^{_p-h-cn- kÀtÆbn 280 C\w saÃmw Xs¶ Ignª 30 hÀj¯n\pÅn Hcn¡se¦nepw ]£nIsf (tIcf¯n ImWs¸Sp¶ ]IpXnbne[nIw) Hcp ]£nkÀtÆ \S¶n«p≠mhpw. AXnsâ ^eambn Xs¶ Is≠¯nbt¸mÄ sk]väw-_-dn 229 C\w ]£nIsf \ap¡v tIcf¯nse ImSpIfnse, X®oÀXS§fnse, ]£n Is≠¯m\mbn.

4 / Mruthika/ September-October 2014 kÀsÆbnse {][m\ Is≠¯epIÄ ACTIVITIES OF WWF-INDIA 2014 2014 KERALA STATE OFFICE Feb Sept 1 t]\Im¡ House Crow 55% 66 Meeting on Deep Sea Fishing and Shark Conservation 2 \m«pssa\ Common Myna 37 39 The State Director, attended the ‘Workshop on Dr. 3 Icn¦pbn Common Koel 35 þ Meenakumari Report on Deep Sea Fishing’ organized by 4 Nn¶¡p«pdph³ White-cheeked 31 22 NFF, KSMTF and ADSGAF in Thiruvananthapuram on Barbet 16 Sept, 2014. The workshop also discussed on Shark Conservation. 5 B\dm©n Black Drongo 30 26 6 h®m¯n]pÅv Magpie Robin 29 þ Birding at Ashtamudi Lake 7 A¼e{]mhv Blue Rock 28 þ Pigeon 8 ao³sIm¯nNm¯³ White-breasted 26 26 Kingfisher 9 Ipfs¡m¡v Pond Heron 25 32 10 _en¡m¡ Jungle Crow 25 23 11 Hmteªmen Rufus Treepie þ 30 12 IrjvW ]cp´v Brahmini Kite þ 23 13 sNdnb\oÀ¡m¡ Little Cormorant 23%

tUm. ]n.H. \aoÀ As follow-up of World Migratory Bird Day 2014 held at Kollam in May, the monthly birding at Ashtamudi Lake kwØm\ tImþHmÀUnt\äÀ, lcnX]¦mfn¯ ]cn]mSn

Mruthika/ September-October 2014 / 5 was conducted on 15th September with the participation similar study has been initiated for . The of 8 volunteers led by the Senior Education Officer. 32 first Stakeholder Workshop was conducted at Palakkad on species of birds were reported including migratory species. 16 Oct 2014. Around 30 participants attended in the half The birding of October was conducted on 25th with the day workshop. The team from WWF-India consisting of Dr. participation of 9 volunteers. Thirty-seven species of birds TS Panwar, Ms. Jincy Joy and Mr. Renjan Mathew Varghese were sighted including migratory species like Grey Plover, and from WISE Pune consisting of Mr. Suhas Tendulkar Lesser sand Plover and Common Sandpiper etc. and Mr. Raiju John led the discussions and deliberations.

Ozone Day 2014 Senior Education Officer led a session titled “Ozone Story” at Kerala University College of Teacher Education, Kollam on 17th September 2014 in which around 120 Teacher Trainees from different subjects participated. An interactive quiz also was conducted in connection with this.

Friday Forum - September 2014

Ongoing project on Laterite Mining and its Environmental Impacts in Kerala Now that the MoU for the GIS and Remote Sensing work component of the project has been signed and handed over to Geovin Solutions Pvt. Ltd., the data analysis part is on in full swing. The full data analysis for Taluk in Thiruvananthapuram District is being carried out with relevant spatial and non-spatial data compiled from various sources. Once this is finalized, the data collection The second Friday Forum of this academic year was for the other sites will also be carried out and the analysis held at Museum Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram completed within the project time frame of two years. on 19th September on the theme “Reduce and Manage Waste & Convert Waste to Wealth”. Sri. Shibu K. Nair, National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Programme Director of Zero Waste Programme of Thanal, Marine Turtles Thiruvananthapuram led the session. The session was quiet The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change interactive with around 120 school student’s participation in association with Wildlife Institute of India organized from different schools. the meeting on Marine Turtles at Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Thrissur on 19 Oct 2014. The State Invited talk on Akashavani on India’s wildlife Director attended the meeting on behalf of WWF-India and The State Director was invited on 10 Sept, 2014 to give contributed to the discussions and deliberations. a special talk on All India Radio/ Akashavani on India’s Wildlife with special emphasis to Red Data List. EH 2014 and CFL Distribution at Olathanni School

100% RE Project – Stakeholder Workshop at Palakkad

Further to Earth Hour 2014, in association with KSEB, EMC and AMAS, we distributed free CFLs to the school students In continuation of the study titled ‘Kerala Going 100% RE from the economically backward families of Victory HSSS, by 2050’, as per the suggestions from the stakeholders, Olathanni, . The event was attended by the

6 / Mruthika/ September-October 2014 State Director. In continuation to this, a class on energy by 41 Teachers from different schools of the district and conservation is also being planned. also few from colleges. The workshop was inaugurated by Sri.Biju Varghese, Chairman, Mangalam Group of Educational Institutions. Sri. N. Radhakrishnan, Dy. Director of Wildlife Education, Project Tiger, Kottayam and Mr. A.K. Sivakumar, WWF-India led the sessions.

We have almost completed the distribution of 5000 CFLs provided to us jointly by KSEB and EMC. We have conducted around 10 CFL distribution events across Kerala in association with local partners. A brief report was prepared along with a photo gallery and submitted to The TTW was organized at Mangalam College of Teacher KSEB, EMC, WWF-India Secretariat and others. Now we Education on 9th October 2014 mainly targeting Teacher are giving a new request to the Chairman, KSEB to provide Trainees. The workshop had 120 Teacher Trainees as us with another set of 5000 or more CFLs and we mainly participants. The workshop was inaugurated by Prof. Jacob target to distribute the same among the plantation worker Kurian Onattu, Principal, Baselius College, Kottayam. households in . The resource persons were Sri. Radhakrishnan and A.K. Wildlife Week Sivakumar.

WWF-India, Kerala State Office put a stall in the Eco Fest organized by Periyar Tiger Reserve at from 2nd to Friday Forum - October 2014 8th October with information panel boards on ‘Biodiversity of Kerala and Endemics of Kerala’. The stall was visited by more than 2000 people. A session on ‘Wildlife of Kerala’ was delivered by Mr. A.K.Sivakumar, Senior Education Officer at SN College, Kollam on 10th October 2014 accompanied by a film show on ‘Wildlife around us’

Teachers Training Workshop at Kottayam

The Friday Forum of the month was held at Museum Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram on 13th October 2014 with the theme ‘Vegetable Garden - Home Grown Vegetables for Poison Free Food’. Smt.Bindu, Technical A Teachers Training Workshop supported by CPREEC, Officer, State Horticulture Mission, Thiruvananthapuram Chennai was held at Mangalam College of Teacher led the session. The session was quiet interactive with the Education, Ettumanoor, Kottayam on 8th October 2014 on active participation of around 150 school students from the theme of ‘Western Ghats’. The workshop was attended different schools in the City.

Mruthika/ September-October 2014 / 7 Nature Orientation Camp at Avalanche Ms. Pooja and Mr. Aron Dev Jose of L’ecole Chempaka, Trivandrum who won the first prize in City level of Wild Wisdom 2014 emerged as the National level quiz winners held on 4th October at New Delhi. They were felicitated by WWF-India Kerala State Office in the school assembly on 15 Oct 2014. Mr. Renjan, State Director addressed the school gathering and gave away the mementos to the winners.

Swasraya Bharat Exhibition as part of SSM 2014

Kerala State Office conducted a three day Nature Orientation Camp at Avalanche Forests of Nilgiris, Tamilnadu. Nine nature enthusiasts along with Mr. Sivakumar and two volunteers attended the camp. The scenic beauty of the high altitude shola forests and its biodiversity was thoroughly enjoyed by the team. They sighted many birds, butterflies, frogs, reptiles and mammals like , , Wild Dog and Malabar Giant Squirrel. The Swadeshi Science Congress organized by Swadeshi Science Movement was held in Kasargod from 14-19 Nov, Sunday Bird Walk 2014 in association with Central University and CPCRI. An exhibition titled Swasraya Bharat was also organized and WWF was invited to put up our exhibition stall. Mr. Harish Kumar, Administrative Assistant and Mr. Visanth, Volunteer manned the stalls.

Brainstorming on ESD and its mainstreaming With the objective of mainstreaming ESD concepts, tools and techniques into the mainstream , a brainstorming session was organized in the State Office in the afternoon of 13 October with a small group of participants. The suggestions and recommendations are The monthly Sunday Bird Walk was held around being compiled and the same will be put into action in the Punchakkari wetlands on 26th October 2014 with the coming days. active participation of 9 birders. Around 42 species of birds were observed from the wetland including Grey Heron, Common Bird Monitoring Programme Grey Wagtail and Pheasant tailed Jacana. WWF-India, Kerala State Office coordinated the Felicitation of Wild Wisdom Quiz National Winners Common Bird Monitoring Programme (CBMP) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and districts held from 12th to 15th September 2014 under the Green Partnership Programme. Senior Education Officer and Sri.C.Harikumar were the reviewers for these districts.

EDITORIAL BOARD Mr. G. Vijaya Raghavan Mr. Renjan Mathew Varghese Mr. A.K. Sivakumar

Published by WWF-India, Kerala State Office, Moolavilakom, Vanchiyoor P.O., Thiruvananthapuram-695035 Phone:0471-2302265, E-mail: [email protected], Web:www.wwfindia.org Computer Graphics: Soft and Soft, Sasthamangalam, Phone: 9447451314, Printed at: New Multi Offset, TVPM.

8 / Mruthika/ September-October 2014